Various electrical adapters have heretofore been devised for a variety of reasons.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,316,072 teaches connector plugs having an outlet or receptacle portion for receiving the contact lays of another connector plug.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 3,775,727 relates to an electrical adapter which converts a standard two hole receptacle for use with a three prong electrical plug having an equipment ground.
Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 2,597,600 relates to a safety adapter incorporating a fuse for quick detachable use either in connection with an electrical appliance or an electrical outlet for plugging in either at a wall receptacle or at an analogous receptacle carried by the appliance.
Also U.S. Pat. No. 3,997,227 shows adapter fittings for electrical wall outlets, and more particularly to adapter fittings of the type capable of accommodating multiple three prong plugs wherein one of the prongs serves to provide a grounding circuit for the electrical appliance being used.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,068 relates to an electrical plug and outlet unit adapted to be plugged in a high voltage receptacle for converting the high voltage from the receptacle into a lower voltage at least one outlet forming a part of the unit.
Furthermore, various thermostat and humidistat devices have heretofore been devised for controlling the temperature or humidity in the vicinity of such device or within a room to be controlled by such device. However, such thermostats and humidistats are generally fixedly secured within the wall structure of a room or to the heating element controlled by the thermostat or the humidifier controlled by the humidistat.
It is an object of this invention to provide a simple portable electrical adapter which is capable of sensing a selected condition within the vicinity of the adapter.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an adapter which obviates the need to structurally change the wall of the room to accommodate a thermostat or humidistat in order to control the temperature or humidity in a particular room.
It is an aspect of the invention to provide a portable electrical adapter removably securable to an electrical wall receptacle, said adapter including a housing adapted to house spaced first and second electrical conductors, said first electrical conductor presented at one end of said housing and including connecting structure for electrically connecting said first conductor to said electrical power of said wall receptacle, said second conductor presented at another end of said housing for supplying electrical power from said first conductor; and selectable variable condition sensing structure selectably capable of being presented interiorally or exteriorally of said housing and electrically connected to said first and second conductor for sensing a selected condition in the vicinity of said condition sensing structure and electrically connecting said first and second conductor so as to supply electrical power to said second conductor from said wall receptacle when said variable conditions sensing structure senses said condition, and to electrically disconnect said first conductor from said second conductor when said selectable condition sensing structure does not sense said condition.
It is another aspect of this invention to provide a portable electrical adapter removably securable to an electrical wall receptacle in a room for controlling the temperature of said room by means of an electrical heater said adapter including an electrically insulated housing; electrical ground extending through said housing so as to present female ground elements at one end of said housing adapted to receive male ground electrical elements from said heater, said electrical ground extending through said housing to another end of said housing so as to present male ground elements exteriorally of said housing adapted for attachment to a ground of said wall receptacle; electrical neutral conductors extending through said housing so as to present female neutral elements at said one end of said housing adapted to receive male neutral elements from said heater, said electrical neutral conductors extending through said housing to said other end of said housing so as to present male neutral elements exteriorally of said housing adapted for attachment to a neutral conductor of said wall receptacle; a female hot element presented at said one end of said housing adapted to receive male hot elements from said heater, a male hot element spaced from said female hot element and extending through said housing exteriorally of said housing at said other end and adapted for attachment to a female hot element of said wall receptacle; a variable thermostat, selectably capable of being presented interiorally and exteriorally of said housing for selecting and controlling the temperature of said room wherein said thermostat electrically connects said female and male hot elements so as to supply electrical power to said electrical heater when said thermostat senses a temperature below said selected temperature of said room, and to disconnect said female and male hot elements when said thermostat senses a temperature above said selected temperature.